Rail-joint



A. E. GROUCH. am miur. APPLICATION FILED oc'T. 5, 19H. nnizwzn :mit 1,ls'z.

1,366,248. Patena Jan. 18,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LVA E. ClltO'U'CI-ZII,` OF CLOVERPORT, KENTUCKY.

nAnrJoINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. y Patented J 18, 1921i application meascatena, 1917,seria1 No. i94,93s.ne1iewlea June `7, 1s2o.` serial no.387,243.

Be it known that l; ALVA E. Gnocca, a citizen of the United States,residingat Cloverport in the "county oi' Hancock and State of kentucky,have invented certain useful Improvements in Rail-Joints,` of which thefollowing is a'specilication, reter` ence being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

The present invention has reference genu crally to improvements in thatclass ol in ventions Aknown as railway rails and rail joints and moreparticularly relatestoan improved rail joint. l y l It is the primary`aim` and object of this invention to provide a device of the abovecharacter wherein the meeting ends of a pair of rail sections aresupported in abutting relation with respect toeaclrother while thefastening means of the sectionsis locked against displacement. l l y AAs an equally important object this inrention contemplates theprorisionof a rail joint "designed to engage and support both the `railsections and the angle `plates tastened to the rail sections and formingapart oi" the joints. u i

More particularly this invention embraces the provision of a rail jointwherein mea-ns is cast with the bridging base preferably near therespective ends thereof lor coperating with the base in eti'ectivelymain?4 taining the rail sections and anglebars in the bridging base sothat they may be supf ported. 1 i i Y Among lthe other aims and objectsolithis invention may be recited the provision oi a device of thecharacter' mentioned with a View to compactness, and in Iwhich the partsare few, the construction simple, the cost of production low and theeiiiciency high.

@ther improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangementoit the various parts oi? the apparatus will be brought out more indetail in the description to follow, which' ttor a clear understandinget the invention, should be considered 'in connection with theaccompanying drawings 'loi-ming a part hereorl and wherein disclosed forthe purpose of illustration a convenient and satisfactory embodiment ofthe invention. It is to be noted in this connection that minor changesin the construction and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the inention. or the principle otoperationof the various parts. y

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation thereof;` l*1 2 is a transverse sectiontaken on line 9.2 ofFig., l; y y 'Fig 3 is another transverse sectiontaken on` line Bellot Fig` l; f

Fig; a is a horizontal Section taken on line `fle-iol Fig. l looking inthe direction in which: the arrows point; and l lligg isaperspectivedetail or'` the brifdg ing base or supportsV l y A Similar charactersof` reference indicate corresponding parts Ithroughout the severa-lviews in the drawings. V y

`lei crring now, more `particularly,V to the accompanying drawingsthere, are provided a pair ot rail. sections Il and 9J the meeting endsof which are held inabutting and alining relation 'with respect to eachother on the track bed by means of `the improved rail joint designatedinits lentirety by thc nu meral 2:3. y

ln fastening `the sections in alining `rolation, angle plates indicatedin their entireties'by the miniera-ld are employed `and positioneduponthe respective sides of the web and base portion of the railsections. `Each Aangle bar consists oit a vertical web engaging portion5 `the uppcredge of which coni tacts with the under surface of the headsoi? therail sections at `thefmeeting ends and an outwardly projectingrail base flange engage ing portion G which terminates beyond the sideedge of the adjacent base portions ol the rail sections but in a planeabove' the plane of the lower surfaces oit the base portions indicatedin 4Figs. 2 and 3 for a purpose that will presently appear. Suitablefastening devices such as bolts 9 are extended alternately throughalining or registeringoliienings in the lvertical web portions 5 and'-in then/eb portions of the rail sections l and Q, the outer endsthereof being engaged by nuts l@ which are desirably of an angular shapeand coperate with the heads oii the bolts in effectively clamping theparts in a substantially rigid position so as to maintain the railsections in abutting and alining relation with respect to each other.

`)operating with the angle bars Iand the histening means is the improvedbridging support indicated in its entirety by `the nupiece.. p In thepresent instance this support Consists of a base l2, from the uppersurface of, which and longitudinally thereof extend opposed verticalportions 13 while extending inwardly Vvfrom the upper ends of thevertical lportions are the horizontal portions 14 designed forengagement with the upper surfaces of the'base engaging portions 6 ofthe angle bars which engagement is effected subsequent to fasteningofthe angle bars by sliding the support to engage the angle bars as willbe appreciated and when in such position tl'ieup'per siirfacesof thehorizontal portions are .designed for snug engagement with the Yadjacentlower surfaces of the nuts i0 so vas 'to lock the nuts againstretrograde irovemeiit. p

The sides or vertical portions 13 are thickened and frietionally andsnugly engage the: sides of the base'portions of the rail sections whenthe support is arranged in an operativeposition and in addition areproifided with the longitudinal grooves 17 in lwhich 'are snugly andfrictionally re ceived and supported the projecting edges of the fiangeengaging portions G.

y Horizontal ianges Y18 extend outwardly from opposite sides of the basel2 and are provided with` openings and notches A19 for receiving spikesor like fastening devices 20 which are adapted to be anchored in tiesfor effectively maintaining the parts in their assembled position asdescribed and as in'- dieated in the drawing,

It is believed in view of the foregoing descriptionvthat a detaileddescription of the operation. of theY invention is entirely unnecessary.Likewise it is believedv that the advantages of the invention will bereadily apparent.

.As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently Widely different embodiments of'this invention could bern'aderwithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitedsense. lt is also to be understood that the language used in thefollowing claim is intended to cover all the generic and specificfeatures of the invention herein described and all statements of thescope of the invention, which, as a matter of language might be said tofall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

The combination with the meeting ends of a pair of rail sections, ofangle bars disposed oii opposite sides of the rail sections at themeeting ends thereof and including vertical web engaging portions, andbase engaging portions the oiiter sides of which project slightly beyondthe side edges of the bases of the rail sections, means for fasteningthe web portions to the rail sections so as to hold the rail sections inalineinent and abutting relation, a bridging support for slidablyengaging with the rail sections and the angle plates for preventingsagging of the sections, for preventing accidental displacement of thefastening means, said support including a base, thick vertical sideportions integral with the upper surface thereof and designed to snuglyand '`iietionally engage the side edges'of the base of the railsections, inwardly extending horizontal iianges for engagement with thebase engaging portions of the angle bars, the

inner faces of the vertical portions being i provided with opposedlongitudinal grooves immediately above the horizontal flanges for snuglyand frietioiially receiving the outer projecting side edges of the baseengaging portions of the angle bars, the outervends of the verticalportions being tapered inv'ardly to form guides and means for securingthe support in position.

ln testimony whereof I aflix niy swnature.

ALvA n. eRooi-i.

